Trajan: Building the Empire

Trajan. Building an Empire exhibition at the Trajan Markets

The Trajan Markets in Rome have a great exhibition on at the moment titled ‘Trajan: Building the Empire’, to celebrate 1900 years since the death of Trajan, one of the greatest Roman Emperors. The optimus princeps brought the Roman Empire to its maximum capabilities and the mammoth Trajan Markets shopping centre construction, the location of the exhibition, is testament to how he revolutionised the world at the time.

The exhibition discusses his achievements as an Emperor, his different building projects and topics that were as relevant back then as they are today, such as what does it mean to build an Empire? and what is the relationship between the Roman Empire and current Europe? The unification of Rome, Mediterranean Africa and Asia Minor under Trajan’s reign, was a type of ‘Europe’ back then, and is illustrated in the exhibition through reconstructive multimedia products and scale models.

There is also a cool modern installation on display at the exhibit, by Romanian artist Luminița Țăranu, known as the ‘Columna Mutãtio: The Spiral’, a sculptural interpretation of Trajan’s column, which the Emperor had built to celebrate the Roman conquest of Dacia (modern day Romania).

Țăranu’s column is made of a 34 metre long aluminium sheet, which has been spiralled to 13 metres, maintaining a proportional ratio to Trajan’s Column of 1 to 3. It is decorated with  graphics that the artist has been developing for years, including silk-screen printing by hand. The black and white design on the inside is a tribute to the Dacians and the colourful outer layer symbolises todays colourful world with more than 50 drawings, including interpretations of marble.

Columna mutãtio: The Spiral

Monday @ the museum: Rome’s national museums the Art Pacis, the Capitoline Museums and the Trajan Markets will now be open every Monday as well.

Official website: http://www.mercatiditraiano.it/en/mostre_ed_eventi/mostre/traiano_costruire_l_impero_creare_l_europa

When:

29 November – 16 September 2018

Where:

Mercati di Traiano Museo dei Fori Imperiali